NewsCorp.’s iPad ‘Daily’ to Use Drone Choppers for News Gathering?

News is trickling out about Rupert Murdoch’s big iPad play, tentatively named The Daily, which is expected to launch in December under editor Jesse Angelo. The project has already lured some big name talent, and James Murdoch talked up the company’s plans at a conference in Barcelona on Wednesday:

“We think it’s a great format because the tablet in general lends itself to a type of journalism that is really new. The topography of a tablet, the multitouch screens . . . we think it’s very exciting. These really are becoming our flagship products, even though they are very much in their infancy.”

So just what is this new type of journalism?

Sources say the publication is experimenting with an investigative secret weapon—namely, the Parrot AR.Drone “quadricopter” that all the geek blogs salivated over when it debuted at CES early this year.

The Parrot does indeed look pretty cool. It comes equipped with two cameras (one facing forward, for steering; another facing down, for those OJ-in-the-Bronco news moments), an on-board WiFi transmitter, two interchangeable hulls, and an “ultrasound altimeter.” Best of all, it can be controlled with an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad (synergy!).

Check out these French dudes trying one out:

Competing news organizations might want to pop over to Brookstone and pick one up.